Quicksand

without making sure that my pain is reciprocated.' He chuckled. 'Though this time I'm not feeling nearly so bitter. I've been following your search for Bonnie for years and it's lightened many a dull moment.'

'I didn't try to track you down. I don't even know your name.'

'Henry Kistle.'

Kistle. The name of the man Montalvo had given her as one of the possible murderers of her daughter.

'Yes, you know me. You set that asshole, Jedroth, to watch me.'

'Where are you?'

'It would be no use to tell you. I've just left town. I'll be hundreds of miles away from here before you can call and get someone to try to find me. I know about red tape.'

'What… do you know about Bonnie?'

'That she was seven years old and a beautiful child. Do you know how many pretty little girls I've killed since your Bonnie died? Though I always regard her as my inspiration. She was like a burning arrow lighting the darkness. I remember how-'

'Shut up.' She couldn't take any more. 'Don't talk about her.'

'I'm done for the time being. I just wanted to touch base with you. I needed something to keep me up and zinging.'

'Zinging?'

'That's what life's about. You have to keep on top of it, keep excited and moving. I got a little buzz earlier tonight but nothing like the one I'm feeling now. It's not as good as a kill, but maybe you could make the next kill extraordinary.'

'What kill?'

But he had hung up the phone.

She was shaking.

She had curly red hair and the last day you saw her, she was wearing a Bugs Bunny T- shirt.

Kistle.

Joe. She had to call Joe.

Her hand was shaking as she dialed his cell number. No answer. The voice mail picked up immediately. His phone had to be turned off.

She hung up. Dammit, she needed him. Where the hell was he?

Stop whining. He was a cop. There were all kinds of situations where he'd turn off his cell. Okay, she had to handle it alone. She'd reach Joe as soon as he was available.

She was like a burning arrow lighting the darkness.

Bonnie.

Block out the pain. She had to try to catch that bastard before he was out of reach.

Sheriff James Jedroth. Kistle had used Jedroth's telephone and Jedroth was located in Bloomburg, Illinois. Call information and get the number for the sheriff's department. Move.

Five minutes later she had reached the sheriff's department and been transferred to three different extensions before she reached a Deputy Charles Dodsworth. 'I'm sorry, ma'am'-he had a distinctly midwestern twang-'but Sheriff Jedroth isn't on duty. May I help you?'

'I was afraid he wasn't on duty. I only used his name to get through to anyone in authority.' Eve continued urgently, 'That's why I've been trying to contact someone, anyone. I received a phone call this evening from Sheriff Jedroth's cell phone. Only it wasn't the sheriff. It was Henry Kistle.'

There was a silence on the other end. 'Kistle. You're positive that was the name?'

'Dammit, I'm positive. You know who he is, don't you? I can tell by your tone.'

'I'm familiar with the name,' he said cautiously.

'Then go get him. I think he was in a car and on the move. He boasted that you wouldn't be able to catch him. But it's been less than ten minutes. He must have been under investigation by you or he wouldn't have been able to take the sheriff's phone. Can't you call the highway patrol and try to stop him?'

Silence. 'He really had Jim's phone?'

'That's what it said on my ID.'

'Shit.' The deputy's tone was now curt. 'I'll get back to you.' He hung up.

Good. She was encouraged that he had wanted to get rid of her so that he could take action. At least there was a hope that Kistle could be intercepted. Hurry, she prayed. Don't let him get away.

She called Joe again. His phone was still turned off. She left a message for him to call her as soon as possible.

But there was a car driving up the road to the cottage.

She ran out on the porch to see Jane getting out of the rental car. 'I can't get in touch with Joe. Have you heard from him?'

'Yes.' She gave Toby a hug in greeting and pushed him aside. 'And you can't get in touch with him because he probably had to turn his phone off on the plane.' She grimaced. 'Though he might not have answered you anyway. He didn't want to have to deal with you until he was sure.'

She stared at her. 'Deal with me? Plane?'

'I told him he wasn't handling this right.' Jane was climbing the porch steps. 'But you know Joe. Stubborn. He had to get on that damn plane to Bloomburg.'

Eve stiffened. 'Bloomburg?' she whispered. 'Kistle.'

'Yes.' Jane's gaze narrowed on Eve's face. 'How did you know?'

'Kistle just called me,' she said numbly. 'He was telling me what a beautiful child my Bonnie was.'

'Damn.' Jane's arms slid around her and she held her close. 'I wish I'd been here with you. You shouldn't have had to be alone.'

She wasn't alone now. She had Jane, and the healing comfort was like a blessing. 'I'm okay.' She hugged Jane before letting her go. 'And we have a chance of getting the bastard. He called from an officer's phone and I was able to notify the sheriff's department pretty quick.'

'Come on.' Jane took her arm and pulled her into the cottage. 'I'll make some coffee and you can tell me about it.'

CHARLIE DODSWORTH HESITATED, staring at the phone after he'd hung up from talking to Eve Duncan. She'd sounded scared and desperate, but who knew if she wasn't some kind of nut? He was only a deputy. He had no business calling the highway patrol and setting up roadblocks. That was a sheriff's job. Jim's job.

He dialed Jim's cell number. No answer.

Jim always answered. Unless his cell was no longer in his hands, as Eve Duncan had claimed.

Damn, that scared him.

He punched the number for Torrance with the highway patrol and while he was waiting he called out to Annie Burke in the front office. 'Get that report Jim requested on Joe Quinn.' After he had read the report, the sheriff had thought Quinn might have valid reasons for suspecting Kistle and had started the surveillance on him. He needed to know everything Jim knew.

'Ten minutes,' Annie said. 'I'm on my lunch break.'

'Now!'

Annie would probably give him hell later. He couldn't worry about it. Torrance had picked up and Dodsworth was telling him what had to be done.

'By whose authority?' Torrance asked. 'I'm not about to send my guys off on a wild-goose chase at this time of night.'

'Sheriff Jim Jedroth,' Dodsworth lied. 'I'm just relaying his orders.'

'Got you.' Torrance hung up.

Annie was standing in the doorway holding a folder. 'You lied to him. What's got into you, Charlie Dodsworth? Jim's going to have your ass.'

'I hope he does.' Dodsworth got up from the desk. 'I haven't got time to read that report. Walk me to the patrol car and fill me in, Annie.'

'Where are you going?' She fell into step with him as she took out the report.